Illinois

• No. 3 seed Illinois defeated Big Ten rival Iowa 71-59 in the South Region final, earning a spot in Saturday's national semifinal against No. 2 seed Connecticut at 6:09 p.m. ET. • Freshman Keaton Wagler led with 25 points and was named Region Most Outstanding Player, while Andrej Stojakovic added 17 points. • Illinois outscored Iowa 20-8 after a 51-51 tie with 7:14 left, closing with an 8-0 run as Iowa failed to score in the final two minutes.

• Third-seeded Illinois beat Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on March 26, 2026, in Houston. • David Mirkovic led Illinois with 14 points and 10 rebounds, as the team showcased strong defense to eliminate last year's national runner-up. • The win advances Illinois (27-8) to its 11th Elite Eight, facing ninth-seeded Iowa on Saturday to determine a Final Four participant.

• No. 2 seed Vanderbilt beat seventh-seeded Illinois 75-57 in Nashville to advance to the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA tournament. • Mikayla Blakes led Vanderbilt with 25 points in the decisive victory. • This SEC matchup underscores Vanderbilt's strong postseason run in the latest tournament action.

James ‘Jimmy’ Gracey was at nightclub in Spanish city when he separated from friends at about 3am on TuesdayThe body of James “Jimmy” Gracey, a 20-year-old college student from Illinois, was found Thursday in the water off a Barcelona beach, police in Spain said.Gracey’s body was found by police divers and positively identified, the press office for Catalonia’s regional police in Barcelona told the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Cryptocurrency’s biggest Pac spent more than $10m for their candidates, only to be defeated by those who are anti-cryptoSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe cryptocurrency industry spent big and lost often in this week’s Illinois primaries.As the industry prepares to make massive donations in the 2026 midterm elections to replicate its success in 2024, the Illinois losses mark an early setback for firms that are trying to establish themselves as power players in American politics. Continue reading...

Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and Cook County commissioner Donna Miller were among those who came out on top in the elections ahead of the midtermsDemocratic voters in Illinois handed the party’s nominations for five open seats in the House of Representatives to candidates that included Evanston mayor Daniel Biss and Cook County commissioner Donna Miller, after heated and at times bitter campaigns that saw significant spending by outside groups, most controversially the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac).The primaries acted as a test of the style of politics voters were looking for ahead of the midterm elections in November, when Democrats hope to regain control of Congress. All five districts are heavily Democratic, making the primary victors favorites to triumph in the general elections. Continue reading...

The progressive candidate was behind Krishnamoorthi until she got an infusion of cash from Governor PritzkerIllinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary race to succeed Illinois’ US senator Dick Durbin in Washington, beating out US representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.Stratton, a progressive with the support of governor JB Pritzker, had been behind Krishnamoorthi in polling until recent weeks, when an infusion of cash from Pritzker and hardening sentiment on immigration pushed aside the relatively moderate congressman. Stratton also faced competition on her left from congresswoman Robin Kelly, which threatened to split the progressive vote. Continue reading...

Midwestern state has a slate of competitive races with money flowing in from donors including AipacSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIllinois voters on Tuesday will decide between a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to be the state’s next senator as the midwestern state also nominates candidates for five open congressional seats.Longtime Illinois senator Dick Durbin’s retirement leaves a competitive race that includes two US representatives and the lieutenant governor vying to replace him, with massive infusions of money coming to the candidates from outside groups, including donors affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), that are spending millions to sway voters. Continue reading...